Friday, April 11, 2008

The beautiful, delicious "queen of fruits" - the mangosteen, Phronesisaical favorite - long banned from the US for pest concerns has been finding its way into Asian markets in the US for some time. Now, it appears to be making in-roads at NYC juice bars and upscale food markets.

The mangosteen, a Southeast Asian fruit, is stepping into the spotlight this year, its second in markets in the United States. It is available at more stores and the price is down, though perhaps only connoisseurs will eagerly part with $6 a fruit at Dean & DeLuca stores and Agata & Valentina, or $4 at Kings supermarkets in New Jersey...

Eric Helms, the owner of the Juice Generation, shops in Manhattan, buys mangosteens peeled and frozen and combines them and their ruby-red juice (the color comes from the inner skin) with fresh kiwi and mango. The mangosteens’ subtle flavor shines through.

Egad! Frozen mangosteens (which is what you find in Asian markets in the US) are an awful, pallid, and mushy impersonation of the real, fresh thing. The only way to eat a mangosteen is to go to Thailand.[Thanks for the link, Wes].